The medal is the nation’s highest civilian honor and Lynn, along with President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, baseball legend Ernie Banks, activist and author Gloria Steinem, jazz musician Arturo Sandoval, journalist Ben Bradlee and astronaut Sally Ride (posthumously) are among those who will be awarded with the medal later this year at the White House.

“I can’t believe that they are honoring me with the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Lynn says.

“I’m going back to the White House. I have been there before and have met five Presidents, but I’ve never got to meet President Obama. Just think – receiving the Medal of Freedom from the President. Ain’t too bad for this coal miner’s daughter!”

The Medal of Freedom, now in its 50th year, is given to “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, or cultural or other significant public of private endeavors” according to www.whitehouse.gov.

The eldest daughter of country star Loretta Lynn died Monday in Waverly, Tenn. from complications of emphysema. Betty Sue Lynn was 64 and is survived by daughters Lynn Markworth and Audrey Dyer and five grandchildren.

In release issued by Loretta Lynn's publicist, the singer and her family "thank friends and fans for their thoughts and prayers during this time of great loss."

--Associated Press

Tatum Hauck Allsep is founder and executive director of Music Health Alliance in Nashville. (Submitted photo)

Name: Tatum Hauck Allsep

Age: 38

Job: Founder and executive director, Music Health Alliance

Background: Tatum Hauck Allsep earned her bachelor’s degree in human and organizational development from Vanderbilt University. Originally from Mississippi, she is married with three children — 10-year-old twin sons and a 2-year-old daugther.

Allsep has been in the music industry for about 20 years. She previously owned an artist management company and served as the co-founder of a for-profit business that was created to bring health insurance and advocacy to members of music trade organizations.

Her newest venture is Music Health Alliance, a full-service health care advocacy firm that serves the music community, and she serves as the executive director.Continue reading →

Click here to see a photo gallery from this evening's visitation. Joe Diffie and Brenda Lee at the private visitation for the late George Jones. (Photo: Dipti Vaidya/The Tennessean)

Fifteen minutes before the private visitation began for Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones, the parking lot at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home was full, parked cars packed the pathways that lead around the cemetery and a line of traffic snaked down the funeral home's long and winding driveway into Thompson lane.

Among those sitting in traffic, Loretta Lynn. When Lynn's black SUV made it into the parking lot, she was greeted by Mark Collie. Golf carts were deployed to bring guests from their cars to the building. Those who had already parked were standing two deep in a line that stretched down the funeral home steps and around the side of the building. Collie, Jim Lauderdale, the Oak Ridge Boys' Duane Allen, and John Rich stood in that line early in the evening. As time passed, other celebrities including Trace Adkins and Brad Paisley were whisked inside without having to wait.

"I've known George longer than almost anyone," said Brenda Lee, a member of both the country and rock 'n' roll halls of fame. "George has been my friend for years. I was thinking the other day about the song 'Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes,' and that's never more poignant than now. He was integral to country music. I've traveled all over and in Japan and they knew George but didn't know country. I've lost a great friend and the world has lost a great artist."

All for the Hall co-founders Vince Gill and Keith Urban kick off Tuesday’s benefit concert at Bridgestone Arena. Click image for photos from the concert. (photo: Larry McCormack / The Tennessean)

Jason Aldean pulls up to a side door at Bridgestone Arena to rehearse for Tuesday night’s We’re All for the Hall benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The sidewalk is littered with fans, and he jumps out of his Jeep and starts shaking hands and posing for pictures as he makes his way inside.

A few minutes later in the back hallways of the arena, Keith Urban spots Billy Joe Shaver and calls his name as he strides toward him with open arms.

“Billy Joe! Thank you so much for being a part of this,” Urban says as the men embrace.

That unity — artists of different generations coming together with fans to support the Country Music Hall of Fame — is what the evening is all about.

“There’s such a deep ingrained love of our history, of our music,” says Tim McGraw, who performed his songs “Real Good Man” and “How Bad Do You Want It.” “It got us to where we are today. I think that the Hall of Fame is something that is very dear to us all.”

Urban co-founded the benefit concert with Vince Gill in 2009, and Gill says he marvels at the caliber of artists Urban books to play the show every year.

“I’m already thinking about a theme for next year,” Urban says before the show. “It’s important to me what kind of theme is going to allow us to bring in older artists and new ones and have them fused together in an organic way.”

With the sold-out crowd of more than 13,600 fans in their seats, Urban and Gill kicked off the show with two songs each, with each artist playing back-up for the other. Urban dedicated his song “Without You” to his wife, Nicole Kidman, and daughter, who were present. Gill covered The Marshall Tucker Band’s “Can’t You See,” explaining he played with “those guys” 35 years ago and “loved every minute of it.”

Adkins injected some humor into the evening when after his first song “Just Fishin’” he turned around to “take a picture of my guitar players” Urban and Gill.

“I’m going to tweet that (stuff),” Adkins says from the stage.

Cash played “Seven Year Ache” and “Long Black Veil,”Church delivered songs he described as “obscure” and played The Band’s “Ophelia” and Jim Ford’s “Big Mouth USA,” and Shaver sang “Old Chunk of Coal” and “Live Forever.” Kid Rock got the audience on its feet with "All Summer Long" and then returned to the stage later in the night to perform "Picture" with Sheryl Crow, a crowd favorite.

But it was artists like Shaver and Nelson with which Aldean, who performed his hits “Take a Little Ride” and “My Kinda Party,” was looking forward to play.

“One thing I know is that they are not going to be around forever,” Aldean says. “Any time you can share the stage with them, that’s huge for us. Those are the people that paved the way for us to be here.”

Nelson and Kristofferson were among the last to perform. Kristofferson walked out wearing a harmonica, which he played on "Me and Bobby McGee."

"That's the best band I've ever played with," Kristofferson says, referring to the musical boost he received from Urban and Gill.

Nelson played "On the Road Again" for the audience and the show ended with the evening's performers on stage singing "Family Tradition" with Hank Williams Jr.

To date, the fundraiser has generated $1.5 million for the Hall of Fame, with an additional $500,000 expected to come from Tuesday’s show. It’s a check the Hall of Fame can count on for years to come.

“I see myself doing it in 25 years,” Urban says of the benefit. “I started this because I wanted to give back; it’s as simple as that. I have a pretty amazing life, and Nashville and country music has given me that.”

Click the image for a photo gallery of Loretta Lynn through the years (photo: Dipti Vaidya /The Tennessean)

Country Music Hall of Famer Loretta Lynn has been taken off the lineup for tonight’s star-studded We’re All for the Hall concert tonight. Organizers say Lynn canceled because of a close associate’s illness.

Click to see a gallery of the third annual We're All for the Hall Concert benefitting the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum at the Bridgestone Arena Tuesday, April 10, 2012 in Nashville, Tenn. (GEORGE WALKER IV / THE TENNESSEAN)

Keith Urban is gearing up for Tuesday night’s We’re All for the Hall benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He organizes the event every year with Vince Gill, and this year’s theme of outlaws has provided Urban with the unique opportunity of finally playing with Loretta Lynn.

Urban and Lynn have a history: He was once her date to CMT’s Flameworthy Awards and has fond memories of the evening.

“I got a call from Loretta’s manager saying, ‘Would you like to take Ms. Loretta to the awards,’ ” Urban recalls, laughing. “I had the best night sitting next to her, hearing her stories and her commenting on every person that performed on the stage. It was a lively evening. I’m looking forward to actually playing music with her this time.”

Click the image for a photo gallery of Loretta Lynn through the years (photo: Dipti Vaidya /The Tennessean)

Happy 81st birthday to Country Music Hall of FamerLoretta Lynn, whose hits including "Coal Miner's Daughter," "You Ain't Woman Enough" and "Fist City" helped her to a place as what rocker Jack White calls "the most important female songwriter of the 20th century."